The adventures of the owners, artists and visitors at the coolest art gallery in Edinburgh. Union Gallery is owned and managed by artist Alison Auldjo, and aims to bring the best contemporary art to the public, with particular emphasis on work not regularly seen elsewhere.

Thursday, 8 March 2012

Cathy Star

Hello everyone,

It was back in March 2010 that UG held its first exhibition of still life paintings. Entitled 'Not So Still', it was a major success with one artist in particular recieving a great deal of attention. That artist was Cathy Campbell, a Glasgow-based painter who we had found out about whilst putting together that exhibition. We were surprised to learn that Cathy had never exhibited in Edinburgh before, and delighted that she agreed to exhibit with us. I adore her beautiful, colourful work full of delicate touch and clever technique. Not long after that exhibition, it was a logical step for us to talk to Cathy putting on her very first solo exhibition.

And the result of that conversation is now for all to see at UG. Cathy Campbell's exhibition of new paintings opened last Thursday, and it has been well worth the wait of around 18 months to see this wonderful body of work When you consider that she has produced all this work whilst holding down the day job as a tutor at Glasgow School of Art, it becomes even more impressive.

For example:

'Star', oil on canvas, by Cathy Campbell. And:

'Group of Three', oil on board, by Cathy Campbell.

To Cathy, still life painting is not about making a portrait of the objects, or even about telling their story, it's about shapes, colour, darkness and light, and their relatioship to each other. Over the last year, her methods have been changing somewhat. She says:

"I have been less concerned with tone while engaging far more with colour and shape. This new approach involves far less heavy reworking. The paintings are lighter in touch and in tone and I sense that this changing concern has breathed new life into my work. There is a new immediacy and freedom in my work which I feel reflects pleasure in the process".

And the results are for all to see: there is a confidence and an optimism in her work that is highly infectuous. When people come into the gallery, they smile and feel instantly relaxed by the joyfulness of the work. It is beautiful, but also extremely calming and very colourful - a real feast for the eyes. With the turning of the season into Spring, what better inspiration could we all ask for?

I'll leave you with one more example:

'James Stewart', oil on canvas, by Cathy Campbell.

To see the rest, you'll just have to find the time to come into the gallery before the exhibition closes on April 2nd.